After doing some research, North Weald Redoubt seemed like a great first proper urbex explore. It looked easy enough to get to, had a mix of above-ground ruins and underground tunnels, and had plenty of history behind it. I knew there were already tons of reports on the place, but I figured I’d still post my photos and give an update for 2025.
History
The history of this site has been covered extensively in previous reports so here is a short summary.
North Weald Redoubt a.k.a North Weald Mobilisation |Center, was built in the 1880s as part of the London Defence Positions to protect London from invasion. Most of the architecture is from the original Victorian fort but there are later additions as it also played a role in WW2 as a radio station.
Alan Williams Turret
The first thing I came across was an Allan Williams turret, a WW2 gun emplacement that could rotate 360 degrees. They were built to house machine gunners, but the army prefered the design of concrete pillboxes. I think the design is very interesting but I can see why the army wasn't confident in a half inch of steel to protect gunners from tanks and artillery compared to several ft of concrete in a pillbox. I wonder what advantage the airforce saw in them then as these alan williams turrets were mainly placed at airfields. Apparently of the few hundred that were deployed only a few dozen still exist.
Remnants of the WW2 Radio Station buildings ?
I came across several dilapidated buildings, likely dating back to WW2 when North Weald Redoubt served as a radio station. These obviously aren't part of the original Victorian-era defenses, but there is not much left inside to determine any functions they served apart from some old cisterns were toilets used to be.
This area is probably the most hazardous as the skeleton of the roofing is still present but pieces are evidently falling over time. I would advise a hard hat for this area at this point, and a mask for asbestos as there are multiple hazard signs for it but I did not see any on the walls or ground so perhaps most has been removed.
The Flooded Outer Fort
Moving deeper into the site, I reached the outer fort, which originally had a dry defensive moat surrounding it to prevent enemy advance. When I went it was more flooded than I have seen in previous reports. I would guess the water was 3-4 ft deep. It looked like it might be too much even for waders unless you had a full body set.
The height of the water and the duckweed obscure the hazards under the water. Hard amounts of scrap metal and wood that has been thrown in over the years which I have seen from previous reports where the water level was lower. So I decided not to attempt wading in and left the peaceful pool undisturbed.
Inner Fort & Tunnel System
Past the flooded outer fort, and over a hill I found the inner fort. It looks similar to the outer fort, a row of concrete rooms, but this inner area was completely dry, despite also being in a trench.
There is nothing of note in the chambers of the inner fort, but in the deepest room at the end of a short passageway that passes through several other chambers there were a few large objects that look like the bases of those temporary fencing panels.
Through one of the openings of the inner fort there is a tunnel which had the remains of some kind of vehicle at the end. The frame seemed too small to be a car but perhaps its because the paneling is gone.
The Fallen WW2 Radio Antenna
Past the fort, I came across a fallen antenna that i was looking out for. It is about 20 ft long and along with the alan williams turret is one of the only things remaining that show its WW2 use.
History
The history of this site has been covered extensively in previous reports so here is a short summary.
North Weald Redoubt a.k.a North Weald Mobilisation |Center, was built in the 1880s as part of the London Defence Positions to protect London from invasion. Most of the architecture is from the original Victorian fort but there are later additions as it also played a role in WW2 as a radio station.
Alan Williams Turret
The first thing I came across was an Allan Williams turret, a WW2 gun emplacement that could rotate 360 degrees. They were built to house machine gunners, but the army prefered the design of concrete pillboxes. I think the design is very interesting but I can see why the army wasn't confident in a half inch of steel to protect gunners from tanks and artillery compared to several ft of concrete in a pillbox. I wonder what advantage the airforce saw in them then as these alan williams turrets were mainly placed at airfields. Apparently of the few hundred that were deployed only a few dozen still exist.
Remnants of the WW2 Radio Station buildings ?
I came across several dilapidated buildings, likely dating back to WW2 when North Weald Redoubt served as a radio station. These obviously aren't part of the original Victorian-era defenses, but there is not much left inside to determine any functions they served apart from some old cisterns were toilets used to be.
This area is probably the most hazardous as the skeleton of the roofing is still present but pieces are evidently falling over time. I would advise a hard hat for this area at this point, and a mask for asbestos as there are multiple hazard signs for it but I did not see any on the walls or ground so perhaps most has been removed.
The Flooded Outer Fort
Moving deeper into the site, I reached the outer fort, which originally had a dry defensive moat surrounding it to prevent enemy advance. When I went it was more flooded than I have seen in previous reports. I would guess the water was 3-4 ft deep. It looked like it might be too much even for waders unless you had a full body set.
The height of the water and the duckweed obscure the hazards under the water. Hard amounts of scrap metal and wood that has been thrown in over the years which I have seen from previous reports where the water level was lower. So I decided not to attempt wading in and left the peaceful pool undisturbed.
Inner Fort & Tunnel System
Past the flooded outer fort, and over a hill I found the inner fort. It looks similar to the outer fort, a row of concrete rooms, but this inner area was completely dry, despite also being in a trench.
There is nothing of note in the chambers of the inner fort, but in the deepest room at the end of a short passageway that passes through several other chambers there were a few large objects that look like the bases of those temporary fencing panels.
Through one of the openings of the inner fort there is a tunnel which had the remains of some kind of vehicle at the end. The frame seemed too small to be a car but perhaps its because the paneling is gone.
The Fallen WW2 Radio Antenna
Past the fort, I came across a fallen antenna that i was looking out for. It is about 20 ft long and along with the alan williams turret is one of the only things remaining that show its WW2 use.
